Prt-1.
CNG (2007), sale Triton X, Lot: 1233 who wrote: Struck at Goa in the months of that town’s first occupation by the Portuguese viceroy, Afonso de Albuquerque (January-August 1510), this extremely rare manoel (or cruzado) had been known only from a line drawing published in T. de Noronha & A. de Toro, Numismatica Portugueza a Dicionario de Numismatica Portugueza (Porto: 1872-1884), and subsequently reproduced in modern catalogs on the subject. Although gold half manoels were known, the existence of this larger denomination had been a subject of scholarly speculation. However, a small hoard of gold coins discovered in the vicinity of Goa in October 2005 contained two specimens of this type. Our coin, a previously unknown specimen and not one of those reported from the hoard, represents the fourth known example. Although there is a great similarity in style between this coin and the one illustrated from published report of the hoard, the lack of any die-link among these coins indicates that they were part of a large issue. By the middle of fifteenth century, Europe’s access to the spices and the luxury goods from the East had been severely curtailed by the Turkish advance in the eastern Aegean and the continued loss of Byzantine territory and power. Consequently, the Silk Road, which for centuries had provided the conduit for such items, was effectively closed to the West Europeans, spurred by the technological developments of the Renaissance, sought alternative routes by which they could continue to acquire these luxury items. The first nation to begin exploring alternative routes was Portugal. Beginning with Prince Henry the Navigator, the Portuguese slowly began to embark on voyages charting the Atlantic coast of Africa, making detailed maps and incrementally establishing outposts from which explorations further south might occur. In 1488, when Bartholomeu Dias, a student of o Infante D. Henrique o Navegador (Prince Henry the Navigator), had rounded the southern tip of Africa, the Portuguese had discovered the possibility of a sea route to the East that would allow them to acquire spices, and other luxury goods directly from their sources. These explorations by the Portuguese served a three-fold purpose. By controlling the trade routes to East, the details of which were a closely guarded state secret, Portugal could acquire much-needed revenue. Portugal could also attain a significant advantage over its neighbor Spain, who, under the kings of Castile and Leon, had been contemplating the annexation of Portugal. Finally, the kings of Portugal, devout monarchs that they were, could begin diplomatic relations with the legendary Asian Christian monarch, Prester John, whereby an alliance to drive the Turks from the Mediterranean might be obtained. Consequently, Manoel I commanded Vasco da Gama in 1497 to complete the formation of a trade route from the tip of Africa to India. Rounding the Cape of Good Hope in December 1497, da Gama edged his way up the eastern coast of Africa, continuing his predecessors’ policies of establishing posts along the way. At Mombasa, he encountered hostility from the local population; instead he continued north to Malindi, a friendlier city and one that provided him with the aid of local Arabic cartographers and Indian traders. On 20 May 1498 he reached India, landing at the port of Calicut (mod. Kozhikode). Although da Gama met with initial resistance from local merchants and experienced difficult negotiations, a trading agreement between the Portuguese and the local ruler was reached. Between the time of da Gama’s departure from India in 1499 and 1502, Portuguese interests there suffered and required da Gama’s return with a fleet of twenty warships. Laying siege to Calicut, in October 1502 he compelled the local ruler to sign a revised treaty whereby, in addition to the great quantity of war booty he received, da Gama severely curtailed Muslim trading between India and East Africa. The following year, upon da Gama’

Wt = 4.56g
Photo from CNG, Triton sale XVII, lot 1060